Cotton-picker.



PATENTBD MAR. 14, 1905.

'1. M. SBARLES. COTTON PICKER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 28.1904.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/N VN TOI? zmcv J'CLIZQ ATTORNEY N0. 784,899. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.

y J. M. SEARLES.

COTTON PICKER.

APPLIUATIOX FILED OCT. 28. 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSE INVENTOR am Arron/frs PATENTED MAR. 14, 1905.- J. M. SBARLBS.

COTTON PICKER.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 23.1904.

ffii/i1,

'Humm y By- ATTORI/E78 UNITED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

COTTON-PICKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 784,899, dated March 14, 1905.

Application filed October Z8, 1904l Serial No. 230,386.

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that LJAMES MANSKER SEARLEs, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vicksburg, in the county of /Varren and State of Mississippi, have invented a new and Improved Cotton-Picker, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to a machine adapted to move through the cotton-field and to remove the cotton from the plant, depositing the same in bags or receptacles carried by the machine.

The invention according to the practical embodimentthereof which I have chosen herein to describe comprises a wheeled frame adapted to straddle the cotton-rows and provided with travelingl aprons. which pass at each side of the row, and peculiar pickingfingers by 'which the cotton is grasped and lifted to the upper part of the machine, Where the cotton is disengaged from the lpickers and falls into suitable receptacles provided for the cotton.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings, illustrating` as an example. the preferred embodiment of my invention, in which drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and in which-- Figure l is a perspective View showing the machine with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing part of the apron and one of the picking-fingei's thereof, and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan showing the lower part of the frame and the parts immediately adjacent thereto.

The framing of the apparatus comprises two side portions l0, connected at the top by front and rear cross-bars 11. The frame is mounted on wheels l2, two at each side, serving to support the machine and enable it Vto be readily drawn over the ground. At the rear of the frame it is provided with a cross-bar 14, to which is connected by a pin l5 and bracket 16 a tongue I7, having at its outer end Whiffletrees 18 for the attachmentof the team. The draft of the team is communicated through the pole to the machine, and the horses walk behind the machine and push it ahead of them.

rIhe machine is provided at the front and at the inner side of each side part 10 of the frame with guar d-boards 19, which are convexed on their outer ends, as shown in Fig. LI, and which serve to draw together' the plants in the row and lift the fallen branches, so as to deposit the plants properly for the action of the picking devices which will be hereinafter described.

Suitably mounted at the inner part of the machine and at the inner side of each side part 10 of the frame is a corrugated roller 20. These rollers extend longitudinally of the machine and have the aprons 21 run over them. Said aprons extend upward and are passed around rollers 22, mounted at the top of the machine immediately above thc rollers 20.

The belts are driven in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2 by means of shafts 23, connected by gears 2a to the upper rollers 22. These shafts are in turn driven through sprocket-wheels 25, connected by chains 26 with sprocket-wheels 27 on the axles of the rear wheels 12.

28 indicates the picking-fingers, which project from the outer surface of the belts 2l. Thebelts 21 and fingers 28, as illustrated in Fig. 3, are preferably formed integral of rubber or equivalent flexible resilient material. As shown best in Fig. 2, the picking-fingers are reinforced by springs 29, which bear under the fingers and cause the belts to yieldingly hold the fingers extended, as shown. The fingers 28 are provided with bristles or spurs 30, projecting from their upper surfaces and adapted to engage the cotton. As the machine passes over the row of plants the picking-fingers drag through the plants and attach the spurs or bristles 30 to the cotton, so as to remove the cotton from the plant and carry the cotton upward to the top of the machine. At each side of the'top of the machine are located devices for removing the cotton from the picking-fingers. These comprise scraperplates 31, having slots 32 formed therein. Through these slots the fingers are designed to move, and the scraper-plates bearing against the fingers remove the cotton, as indicated in Fig. 2. Said plates 31 are suitably fastened in position, for instance, by means of brackets 33. As the cotton falls from the scraper-plates it enters bags or equivalent receptacles 34.

IOO

These are held in the side portions 10 of the frame by means of hooks or equivalent fasteners 35. The bag's may be of any depth desired. As here shown they extend downward through the side portions of the frame to a point near the ground.

In the practical embodiment of the apparatus the parts are assembled as described and the machine pushed through the lield, straddling' one after the other the rows of cotton. The cotton is gathered by the lingers and raised to the top of the machine, where it is disengaged by the scraper devices and falls into the bags. l/Vhen the bags are full, they may be removed from the machine and other bags placed in position, or the cotton may be emptied from the bags and the same bags instantly returned to the machine, if desired.

By having' the rollers 2O corrugated the material 0f the aprons takes slightly into the co1'- rugations, and the aprons are thereby prevented from slipping'.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of my invention may be resorted to at will without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Hencel consider myself entitled to all such variations as may lie within the terms of my claims.

Having thus described the preferred form of my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. ism

1. A cotton-picker having' an apron, means for movably mounting and driving the same, and a picking-linger integral with and projecting' directly from the apron.

2. A cotton-picker having' an apron, means for movably mounting and driving the same, and a resilient picking-linger integral with and projecting directly from the apron.

3. A cotton-picker having' an apron, means for movably mounting and driving the same,

a picking-finger integral with and projecting directly from the apron, and spurs projecting from the linger.

4. A cotton-picker having an apron, means for movably mounting and driving the same, an integral resilient picking-linger projecting' directly from the apron, and spurs projecting from the picking-finger.

5. A cotton-picker having an apron, picking-lingers projected therefrom and formed integral therewith, and means for mounting and driving' the apron.

6. A cotton-'picker having an apron, picking-lingers projecting therefrom, the apron and fingers being formed integral of resilient rubber, and means for mounting and driving the apron.

7. A cotton-picker having' an apron, picking-lingers projected therefrom and formed integ'ral therewith, means for mounting and driving the apron, and spurs projecting from the picking-lingers.

8. A cotton-picker having an apron, pieking-iingers projecting therefrom, the apron and lingers being formed integral of resilient rubber, means for mounting' and driving the apron, and spurs projecting from the pickingfingers.

9. A cotton-picker having integrally-connected picking-lingers, means for mounting and driving the same, and a relatively stationary scraper adapted to be engaged by the lingers to remove the cotton from the fingers.

ln testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

JAMES MANSKER SEARLES.

Witnesses:v

J. D. LAUGHLIN, R. V. BOOTH. 

